fishingbc
Active Member
On behalf of the 350,000 or so recreational anglers who purchase tidal waters licences in B.C. every year, I wanted to congratulate federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea for again ignoring one of the major economic drivers on the coast of B.C. by refusing to allow the recreational and commercial sports fishing industry to grow to its full potential.
This industry employs close to 8,000 British Columbians up and down the coast, attracts visitors from around the world, and has the potential to keep growing, especially in these tough economic times. It has been growing every single year, and has always seemed to be taken for granted as a major contributor to the B.C. economy.
The Comox Valley alone is the home to thousands upon thousands of anglers, lodge workers, lodge owners, guides, boat and marine dealers, tackle shops, hotels, resorts, restaurants, car rental agencies, airlines, etc., who are all affected by the reckless decisions regarding halibut quotas being made by the federal fisheries minister and senior Ottawa-based DFO staff.
Cutting back the single-day limit of halibut to one per day has a devastating effect on single-day charters coast-wide, and the two in possession curtails many multi-day bookings and lodge visits. The general consensus among the guides, lodges and the recreational sector is to put an annual halibut limit of 10 per angler per year.
While the current federal fisheries minister keeps her focus on allowing the commercial halibut fleet to keep 88 per cent of the allowable quota, this industry is out fishing right now, and, believe it or not, still has 100 million — that’s right, 100 million — pounds of unsold halibut sitting in freezers from last year’s quota, and it left 500,000 pounds “in the water.”
The practice of commercial licence-holding entrepreneurs acquiring quota for the specific purpose of leasing it out should be stopped.
In 2008, only 183 of the 425 quota holders fished their quota; the balance leased it out. Handing over the majority of a common property resource owned by all Canadians to these few is ludicrous.
This practice is not permitted in Eastern Canada, where quota holders must be onboard the fishing vessel. Are there different rules on both coasts? Apparently so.
Maybe Minister Shea should look in her own back yard to see how to manage our B.C. resources.
Tom Downton,
Courtenay
This industry employs close to 8,000 British Columbians up and down the coast, attracts visitors from around the world, and has the potential to keep growing, especially in these tough economic times. It has been growing every single year, and has always seemed to be taken for granted as a major contributor to the B.C. economy.
The Comox Valley alone is the home to thousands upon thousands of anglers, lodge workers, lodge owners, guides, boat and marine dealers, tackle shops, hotels, resorts, restaurants, car rental agencies, airlines, etc., who are all affected by the reckless decisions regarding halibut quotas being made by the federal fisheries minister and senior Ottawa-based DFO staff.
Cutting back the single-day limit of halibut to one per day has a devastating effect on single-day charters coast-wide, and the two in possession curtails many multi-day bookings and lodge visits. The general consensus among the guides, lodges and the recreational sector is to put an annual halibut limit of 10 per angler per year.
While the current federal fisheries minister keeps her focus on allowing the commercial halibut fleet to keep 88 per cent of the allowable quota, this industry is out fishing right now, and, believe it or not, still has 100 million — that’s right, 100 million — pounds of unsold halibut sitting in freezers from last year’s quota, and it left 500,000 pounds “in the water.”
The practice of commercial licence-holding entrepreneurs acquiring quota for the specific purpose of leasing it out should be stopped.
In 2008, only 183 of the 425 quota holders fished their quota; the balance leased it out. Handing over the majority of a common property resource owned by all Canadians to these few is ludicrous.
This practice is not permitted in Eastern Canada, where quota holders must be onboard the fishing vessel. Are there different rules on both coasts? Apparently so.
Maybe Minister Shea should look in her own back yard to see how to manage our B.C. resources.
Tom Downton,
Courtenay
